I was in my late thirties when I started to lose my hair. The same age as when I started to draw.

I'm not saying that there's necessarily a correlation, but the fact is, over time, I’ve drawn more and more, and I've had less and less hair.
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Until you're in your late thirties, you don't really think about your body all that much. If you're healthy, your body is just like a tank that you drive around in; no matter how much you drink or eat badly or stay up late or do risky things, your body just chugs along.

But then there comes a point where you start having to pay attention to some of these things. Perhaps you've had this experience too. Delightful lessons are dished out every decade if we're lucky enough to still be around to receive them.

The good news is that there’s a definite correlation between aging gracefully and making art. I’d like to share what I’ve learned, all of which is supported by medical research. Oh, and you’re never too old to start making art — even not-so-great art gives you all the benefits.
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Reducing stress and anxiety: As I get older, I find new things to worry about. But I also find that the way to overcome the stress and anxiety that come with fixed incomes and more frequent visits to the doctor is to pick up a pen or my watercolors and just set my fears aside and focus on the present.

Lao Tsu said that if you are depressed, you are living in the past, and if you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.

For me, and apparently lots of research guinea pigs, there’s nothing to anchor you to the present like doing a sketch. Scientists have given subjects some sort of creative activity, even just doodling or coloring or making something simple, and studied the levels of the stress hormone cortisol before and after. They concluded that making art can clearly alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

I know I certainly feel calmer and happier when I have my sketchbook on my lap and that the effects are residual long after the activity is over. And it’s cumulative — the more I draw, the better the medicine works.

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Improving cognitive function: Every time I forget where I left my phone or what we had for dinner last Thursday, I remember that my grandmother had Alzheimer’s. We all worry that our cognitive function could decline.

Fortunately, studies have shown that making art can improve your cognitive function and can help you to remember things better, to pay better attention, and to solve problems faster. That makes sense to me because drawing is really about focus and attention. You can't do a good drawing if your mind is wandering.

Drawing helps to keep you completely engaged with your subject and the task at hand, often for a surprising length of time. And there are all kinds of creative problems that crop up in the course of making a drawing or doing a piece of writing. Plus, learning to draw is a lifelong adventure, and fostering a growth mindset is proven to keep your brain cells growing. Continuing to do this sort of work helps to keep your brain alive.

Even more encouraging: making art has been shown to help people with dementia, Parkinson's disease, and other age-related conditions.

My grandfather lived to be 98, and he wrote something every day. Essays, short stories, and he cranked out three revised versions of his memoirs. Gran was pretty danged sharp up until the very end.

My mother just published her memoirs. She turned 85 on Tuesday.

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Boosting immune system function: Surprisingly, your immune system gets a boost from drawing as well. Scientists have proved it. Doing any kind of creative activity can reduce things like inflammation and help to manage or even prevent chronic diseases. It can also reduce pain and discomfort in folks with arthritis and fibromyalgia.

I don't understand the mechanics of how it works, and I can’t be bothered to read a bunch of scientific papers, but again, it makes sense to me. I think the role that art-making can have in your life, of keeping engaged and productive, of facing challenges, of engaging your brain, of being mindful and reducing stress, are all activities that would understandably help to boost your immune system.

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Enhancing physical function: While I've never been one for sinking a basketball from midcourt or dancing the Charleston, I do have pretty good hand-eye coordination when it comes to drawing. I don't know that I could thread a needle without my reading glasses, but I certainly can draw pretty accurately. Somehow, my fingers often see better than my eyes.

Researchers have proven that as you get older, your physical function is helped by doing things like painting and drawing. In fact, your eye-hand coordination, your flexibility, and your dexterity all improve through regular drawing. And it works just the same whether your art is “good” or “bad”.

Improving social connections: There's the myth of the lonely artist beavering away in his garret, but if you've been part of Sketchbook School, you know that we've always emphasized the importance of community in art-making. We are a far-flung tribe of creative types. Some of our members are widowed or empty nesters. Making art invariably brings you into contact with other people. As you share your art, as you share your discoveries, as you give feedback and get it, as you discuss art supplies and techniques, you combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.

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Promoting emotional well-being: There are times when I have gone for stretches of not drawing or painting. I just get busy, I get distracted, and I forget how important the feelings are that art-making brings to me.

And when I get back to drawing, I remember once again how good I feel with a pen or a brush in my hand. I get to express what's inside of me, and to discover it for myself. Feelings that have been hidden from the daylight come out onto the page.

When I make something I love, I feel proud of myself. I feel accomplished as I study new techniques and master new media. I reaffirm the fact that I'm never too old to learn, never too decrepit to continue to have new experiences and hit new goals. And I know that long after I stop sharing work on the internet, making art will continue to give me a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Here’s the most important benefit. Even as the last of my follicles wave goodbye, art will continue to make me happy. No matter how old you are or plan to be, start making (good or bad) art today. After all, what’s the point of living a long life if your days aren’t filled with pleasure and beauty, with learning, connection, and joy?

Your pal,

Danny

P.S. I made a video version out of this essay — if you’d like to watch it and hear me pontificate in person, check it out on YouTube.

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What do you draw when it's freezing out? In this Tuesday's issue of Studio Notebook, I wrote about a sketchbook I filled while hunkering down in a New York winter. Subscribe today to see it and all the back issues, too. First month: 50% off. I want a month of Studio Notebook for $3.50!

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